Get ready to transform your weeknight dinners with this Pizza Spaghetti Casserole! It combines the best of both worlds—spaghetti and pizza! Noodles create a hearty "crust," layered with a flavorful meat marinara sauce, topped with melty cheese, and pepperoni.
Simple to make and loved by the whole family, this casserole is sure to become a go-to comfort food in your recipe collection!
What makes this recipe irresistible
I think you'll agree this is the perfect combination of cheesy pasta deliciousness! I mean pizza baked into spaghetti? It's amazing! I love that it mixes up pizza night and you can use your favorite fixings!
Even your picky eaters will line up for seconds when you make this easy casserole recipe! It's pure comfort food!
Ingredients you’ll need
For the exact measurements for the Pizza Casserole Recipe, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- spaghetti noodles - you can certainly substitute other types of pasta like egg noodles or rotini. Whole wheat or gluten-free pasta works great in this recipe too!
- spaghetti sauce - use your favorite store-bought marinara sauce or use homemade.
- canned french onion soup - the canned soup keeps the noodles super saucy.
- sliced pepperoni - load it up with lots of pepperoni slices. Browned Italian sausage would be another great addition! Substitute turkey pepperoni if you'd prefer.
- mozzarella cheese - I used pre-shredded mozzarella cheese.
- smoked provolone cheese - smoked slices if you can find it, otherwise just use regular provolone cheese. A little Parmesan Cheese would be a great addition.
- canned mushrooms, black olives, red or green bell peppers, use your favorite and onions - all of these are optional, but I really enjoy the combination.
Creative variations to try
A pound of ground beef, lean ground turkey or chicken, or pork sausage would be a terrific addition! Just make sure you cook ground meat first over medium heat in a large skillet. Drain on paper towel to remove grease before adding to the casserole.
- red pepper flakes
- spiced pepperoni
- green bell pepper
- sausage crumbles
- top with fresh basil
Ricotta cheese is a great addition to this casserole. Mix 1 ½ cups ricotta with ¼ cup parmesan, one beaten egg and Italian seasoning. Add it between the layers of spaghetti.
Step-by-step instructions
This is an overview of the instructions for the Pepperoni Pizza Casserole. For the complete directions just scroll down to the bottom!
- Preheat the oven. Spray the casserole dish, set aside.
- Cook the pasta to al dente, drain well.
- Toss the cooked pasta with the undiluted French Onion Soup. Place the in the bottom of the casserole dish, spread evenly.
- Evenly pour pasta sauce over the spaghetti noodles.
- Add your favorite pizza toppings.
- Place the provolone cheese on top of the dish, sprinkle with shredded mozzerella cheese. Top with pepperoni slices..
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
- If you would like a golden brown crust, place the casserole under the broiler for 2-4 minutes.
Essential tools for this recipe
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Frequently asked questions (FAQ’s)
Use a good jarred marinara sauce, that's perfect for this recipe! My favorite sauces are Classic Traditional, Barilla Tomato and Basil. Trader Joe's has a great pasta sauce as well.
Absolutely this casserole freezes really well.
A combination of Italian cheese is delicious! Mozzarella cheese is best and pre-shredded cheese works well for this recipe. The smoked provolone cheese adds a decadent cheesy flavor.
Absolutely, this can be made the day ahead and baked the next day. If the casserole dish is cold, you may need to add a little baking time.
You can use pizza sauce, but it's much more expensive and frankly you'll get all the flavor from a great store-bought pasta sauce. (And spend less money!)
Deb’s tips for the perfect dish
- Don't over cook the pasta! Cook it to al dente.
- Allow the pasta to rest covered after baking for at least 10 minutes. It allows the flavors to come together. It will be easier to dish up as well.
How to store leftovers
Refrigerate - Allow the pizza spaghetti bake to cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Leftovers will last 3-4 days refrigerator.
Freeze - Up to three months frozen.
Reheat - thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cover the casserole with aluminum foil, place in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes until the past dish is bubbly and heated through.
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Perfect pairings: what to serve with
I can pretty much justify this as a complete meal, I mean it has plenty of veggies, right? 😋 But if you're still looking for ideas....
- Serve this with a green salad - like this garden salad or even a bagged Caesar would be delicious!
- Roasted vegetables would also be great, serve Roasted Brussels sprouts or pan roasted vegetables.
- This easy Dinner rolls recipe or these Copycat Pizza Hut Breadsticks would be terrific to round out this meal.
Are you still looking for ideas? Here are 40+ ideas of What to serve with Spaghetti!
Tell me what you think! I'd love it if you'd comment below and leave a review.
Pepperoni Pizza Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 24 ounces pasta sauce
- 10.5 ounces french onion soup undiluted
- 24 slices pepperoni
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
- 8 slices provolone cheese
- 7 ounces sliced mushrooms canned
- 2.25 ounces olives sliced
- ½ cup bell pepper diced
- ¼ cup diced red onions
Instructions
- Pre heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 9x13 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray, set aside.
- Snap the pasta into thirds. Cook spaghetti in salted boiling water to al dente according to package directions. Drain pasta, do not rinse.
- Place cooked spaghetti in a large mixing bowl. Toss pasta with the undiluted French Onion Soup. Place the seasoned pasta mixture in the bottom of a baking dish, spread evenly.
- Pour spaghetti sauce over the noodles, spread evenly.
- Top with half the slices of pepperoni. Spread with sliced mushrooms, diced bell peppers and sliced olives.
- Place six slices of provolone cheese on top of the dish, top with the shredded mozzerella cheese. Place the remaining pepperoni slices on top.
- Cover with aluminum foil and place in oven for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
- Allow the baked casserole to rest 10 minutes before serving.
Lois says
Just a wonderful meal. So tasty.
Jean says
Made the Pizza Spaghetti Casserole for dinner tonight. I would have made it just the way the recipe was written and loved it but hubby insisted on meat besides pepperoni so added some hamburger. It was a hit! Not a pasta fan hubby ate 3 servings. And my 5 year old granddaughter ate 2 then asked for a third but decided she was too full. I ate it for her. Very delicious. A definite keeper.
Debra Clark says
Ha, that's awesome Jean! High praise from the hubby and granddaughter. That's great, I really appreciate you sharing!